There is a great deal of grotesquery in the world and in the Church. The controversy over the Vatican Nativity Scene this year — a kind of “art” I have described as “weaponized ugliness” — has certainly driven the point home. (One might quibble with my use of “grotesque,” which implies something comical; that said,…
Over at The American Conservative, Rod Dreher devotes an entire post to a “cautionary tale” from a reader about the dangers of soft totalitarianism in unexpected places. The writer shares a good deal, and their whole story is worth reading, but their ultimate warning is different than the one their story prompted in me. Allow…
This morning, at the Catholic Herald, in a piece about laicization of priests as a means of avoiding canonical trial, Chris Altieri sets his sights on Peter Mitchell, a former priest of the Dioceses of Green Bay, Wisconsin, and Lincoln Nebraska. Altieri says that Mitchell was laicized following an investigation that involved “five discrete charges…some…
We knew, over a month ago, that it was coming. It hardly softened the blow to see it. The Vatican Nativity scene for 2020 is…well, it’s horrifyingly ugly. This year’s #Vatican Nativity scene, revealed tonight, comes from a town in the Abruzzi region of Italy famous for its ceramics. Its creators say it’s meant to have…
The other day, as I was scrolling through social media, I saw a headline that caught my eye. “China is harvesting thousands of human organs from its Uighur Muslim minority, UN human-rights body hears.” The first thing I did was look at the source. I know the kind of wicked cruelty China is capable of,…
“My first and last philosophy, that which I believe in with unbroken certainty, I learnt in the nursery. I generally learnt it from a nurse; that is, from the solemn and star-appointed priestess at once of democracy and tradition. The things I believed most then, the things I believe most now, are the things called…
Author’s note: I originally wrote this elsewhere, 9 years ago this Sunday, on the day my grandmother died. I’ve been thinking about her this morning, on what would have been her 96th birthday. After re-reading what I wrote back then, unable to keep the tears from flowing, I wanted to share her – her light, her…
Last month, I wrote a piece highlighting the linguistic signaling going on surrounding the Great Reset. I focused specifically on the emergence of the phrase, “Build(ing) back better” among those who want to let you know that they’re part of a special club of global elites who know what’s better for you, your country, your…
I’m heartbroken. I’m demoralized. I don’t know how else to describe it. Allegations of misconduct have been made against the inimitable American Catholic priest, author, and speaker, Fr. George Rutler. He has denied the accusations. An investigation is ongoing. But no matter what, this feels like a kick in the teeth. I’ll return to his…
Every best gift, and every perfect gift, is from above, coming down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no change, nor shadow of alteration. – James 1:17 What a year. What a bizarre, impossible, difficult, amazing, crazy year. But there is so much to be thankful for, even in the midst of all…
The other night, I had a weird dream. Now, I don’t put a lot of stock in dreams, because in general, I think that’s a bad idea. But I think this one was probably my brain trying to figure out how to process some things. My wife Jamie and I have hoped, for quite some…
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